Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1887-03-10
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Pet' ferg tesPeoHuiiy yOufs,
W. 4. SANDERS.
ExEcuITvK DnP'r, CnuRoKEn NATION, !
TAnLEouAH, I. T., Feb. sth, 1857. I
W. y. SANDERS, Sheriff Of Cooweescoowee
District. Claremoke, Q. NJ. DkAR sms-Your
letter Of Janusft hst, written for John Bal
lette ia At hand and In reply would inform You
concerning the lumber law inquired OF, that
there is no law prohibiting citizens from cut
ting timber anywhere within the nation for
improvement purposes. But II the sheriff has
reasons which he deems good for believing
that any timber. especially walnut, hAs been
cut for shipment outside OF the nation OF for
sale TO any non-eitiEen, he is authorized and
required TO seize and advertise 10 for sale
agreeably to the act Of December 10th, 1851,
which you will ind in the printed laws %
lssl-2-S. That law Ia now In force and will
remain in force until March 18th In regard to
all timber whether cut within the limits Of
improvements OF not. After that time the
new law will so into effect which will allow o
citizen TO cut timber and dispose OF It In ac-
cordance with the regulations therein spsci-
ned. One Of these regulations IL that when
the Law goes into eject q citizen may cut for
such disposition, timbers growing within the
lawful limits OF hia improvement.
You are aware that the law requires an I'm
provement to be worth any dollars before II
can be termed lawful !" Should therefore q
citizen cut any timber for sale outside OF the
nation or 20 q nOn-eitiEen within the so called
limits Of an Improvement that is being made,
but which has not reached the value Of nfty
dollars. the sheriff will be authorized to seize
and sell the timber As cut upon the unimproved
common domain.
Answering your questions generally Il would
say therefore that should an improvement be
worth nfty dollars the citizen who owns II may
cut OF the timber within one-f0urth OF mile
for improvement purposes only, just az he
may elsewhere upon the e0mmoR domain for
the same purposes. But II the timber is cut
within one-quarter OF a mile from an improve
ment worth nfty dollars for the purpose OF
sellipg Il to be transported outside of the ma
tion and before the law goes into effect which
was passed last council. such cutting ia q vio-
lAtIon OF the law now In force and the sheriff
may seize aud sell the timber 30 cut under the
law OF December 10th, 1881.
Also. the same construction holds good a. to
timber cut beyond the limits OF an improve
msnt until the coming law goes into effect
AFTER Il does 20 into effect all timber cut from
either outside or inside OF an improvement not
worth any dollars and cut for sale 10 non.
citizens either In or out OF the;nstlon. will be
subject TO seiEure snd sale by the sheriff under
the law OF December le. 1851.
TRUST you will nnd that the above statement
OF what h6timber and lumber law IL now and
what IL will be when the act now being pub
lished for ninety days goes into effect. sum
eisntly clear for your guidsnce In the perform.
ance OF the trust reposed In tbs sherin by Law
to protect the Cherokee domain In your dis
trist nom spoliasion, remain,
| Very respectfully,
d. w, BvsHYunAD.
Principal Chief